Etiquette & Languages

The English language is full of quirks, and sometimes weird words sneaks into your vocabulary that make you stop and scratch your head when you really think about them.

By Lena Thaywick

Communication drives everything from friendships to billion-dollar business deals. But not all communication is created equal. In fact, the types of communication we use can completely change how our messages land.

By Lena Thaywick

Have you ever stopped mid-sentence and wondered, "What are the most common words in English?"

By Mack Hayden

Ever wondered why certain letters in the English language seem to pop up everywhere? Why your word game strategy revolves around the mighty letter E — or why some letters, like Z, feel like they belong in a letter witness protection program?

By Mack Hayden

Tongue twisters are those delightfully tricky phrases or verses that are designed to challenge the articulation and coordination of speech. The hardest tongue twister is packed with sequences of similar sounds, particularly consonants, that are super tricky to say quickly or repeatedly.

By Karina Ryan

If something happens on a rare occasion, you might have heard someone describe is as a "once in a blue moon" situation. The phrase describes occurrences that don't come around often, making them extraordinary.

By Yara Simón

"Let's touch base" is a common phrase in emails and meetings. It's a handy idiom for when you want to connect or briefly check in with someone.

By Yara Simón

Have you ever seen someone so well-dressed that they looked ready to walk onto the red carpet? To describe someone who's gone all out, putting on their finest clothes to make a stylish impression, you might say they have dressed to the nines.

By Yara Simón

If you've ever uttered the phrase, "It's raining cats and dogs," you may have thought it was a bizarre way to describe heavy rainfall. After all, it conjures images of cats and dogs tumbling from the sky. While cats and dogs may not literally be falling from the sky, they may have inspired the phrase.

By Yara Simón

Let's dive into a term that describes something wildly imaginative but, well, a bit unrealistic: a pipe dream. If you've ever had an idea that feels amazing but probably isn't going to happen, you've had a pipe dream. But where does this expression come from, and what does it mean?

By Talon Homer

Ever had plans that got canceled because of bad weather or a last-minute schedule change? If so, you might have been offered a rain check.

By Talon Homer

Ever hear someone say, "Look on the bright side!" when you're feeling down? They're talking about finding a "silver lining," an expression we use when we want to see the positive aspect of a challenging situation, often included in the longer phrase "Every cloud has it's silver lining."

By Talon Homer

You may have heard the phrase "benefit of the doubt" tossed around when people are accused of things without solid proof or when someone decides to think the best of a person in a tricky situation. But what does it actually mean, and where did it come from?

By Talon Homer

"Tit-for-tat" is a common phrase that's all about fair play — or sometimes, not-so-fair retaliation. You've probably heard of doing something tit-for-tat when someone feels wronged. In that situation someone responds in kind, often giving back exactly what they got, good or bad.

By Karina Ryan

Have you ever heard someone say they're feeling under the weather and wondered what their feelings have to do with the rain or sun outside? It's one of those phrases that we don't take literally; we understand that the person means they're feeling ill.

By Ada Tseng

Have you ever been about to perform, only to have someone tell you to break a leg? That might sound strange — or even a bit harsh. After all, who wants a debilitating injury right before stepping on stage?

By Ada Tseng

Ever been in a situation where you didn't have a set plan and just had to figure things out as you went along? That's when you might decide to "play it by ear."

By Zach Taras

If you've ever been to brunch after a night of too much celebrating, you've probably heard about using the "hair of the dog" to cure your queasiness. It usually pops up when someone suggests that a little more alcohol could help you shake off hangover symptoms.

By Mack Hayden

Let's talk about an expression you've probably heard before: "rule of thumb." This phrase is a handy way of saying, "Here's a general guideline that works in most cases."

By Zach Taras

The phrase "bear with me," meaning "be patient with me," likely originated in 14th-century Middle English and is often confused with "bare with me" due to similar pronunciation.

By Mitch Ryan

Ah, the humble cup of joe — our reliable morning sidekick. It's hard to imagine a time when coffee didn't cost half your paycheck or come with a laundry list of milk options. But once upon a time, you could get a steaming mug for under a buck, no barista needed.

By Desiree Bowie

The English language is challenging due to complicated grammar, inconsistent sentence structure and colloquial idioms that it doesn't share with related languages. However, English is a target language that sees significantly more resources and opportunities for immersion than many other languages.

By Karina Ryan

Languages exist as ever-evolving systems of human communication that go beyond complex grammar or words you could learn from a quick search on Google Translate. Language consists of body language, social cues and mother tongue idioms that are shaped by culture and context. That said, how many languages are there in our vast world?

By Karina Ryan

Many people struggle with learning the English language because there are so many nuanced spellings and usages for different words that don't conform to logical patterns. The hardest words to spell don't always have to be the longest but often contain minor differences from common speech patterns.

By Mitch Ryan

The letter "ñ" is Latin small letter (aka lowercase letter) found in Spanish words. A tilde (the squiggly line over the letter) distinguishes "ñ" from "n" and gives it different pronunciation. For instance, in Spanish, "ano" is pronounced "ah-no" and "año" is pronounced "ahn-yo." And for the record, these two words have very different meanings as well.

By Mitch Ryan